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Cat population remained stable during COVID-19 with no pandemic boom, unlike dogs which saw significant increases
Source: American Veterinary Medical Association (2024)
Notes
Cat population has remained fairly stable since 1996 despite year-to-year variation
American Veterinary Medical Association. (2024). AVMA Long-term Trends in Pet Populations. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/trends/#covid-cat-population-stable
19% growth
US pet industry spending grew 19% from $103.6 billion (2020) to $123.6 billion (2021) during the pandemic
American Pet Products Association (2022)
Post-COVID stabilization
Pet ownership rates are stabilizing post-pandemic, with return-to-office mandates and housing costs potentially boosting cat ownership over dogs
American Pet Products Association (2025)
25% → 32.1%
Cat household ownership rate increased from 25% (2016) to 26% (2020) to 29% (2022) to 32.1% (2024)
American Veterinary Medical Association (2025)
35% by 2030
APPA projects cat household ownership will climb to 35% by 2030, outpacing recent dog ownership growth
American Pet Products Association (2024)
